Complex Learning Through Simple Experiment

Here is my next experience with Prof. Mandi. He entered the class with some cubes and made all of sit again on the dais of floor. We all were wondering “what will be next now?” He distributed some cubes among the students of class giving them some kind of catch practice. Student have to build a tower with cubes by placing one on another.First, the students had to bid to get a chance to be a architect as well as maker of that tower. Bid included two things: Money and the no. of maximum blocks you can put together to raise a tower. If the person who wins the bid and is not able to make use of all the blocks, he claimed, will lose all the money. Money involved will be used to have chocolates for the whole class. First bid was for making tower of 22 blocks and bid for the next scenario was of tower of 8-10 blocks. Then Prof. Mandi said that it should be more than 22 blocks in any case without giving any further clarification over it. 

There were two scenario:

1)Single person has to built the tower by putting single block over another. He can use both his hands and can also see the block. Tower built was of 22 blocks.

2)Three persons has to co-ordinate among themselves and choose one as a CEO,other as manager and one as worker. Worker should be blind folded  and have to use his left hand for tower making.CEO just has to look after the job, manager has to guide the worker but they both cant even touch the tower. Amazing result came out of the activity. They a built tower of 25 blocks.

            Whole class was shocked looking after the result. Then Prof Mandi made us understand the basic difference between craft management and modern management and how the productivity increases in the later one.

            He said in the first scenario when person isn’t blind folded he has a power of thinking and taking his own decision that in turn increase his fear after a certain level of completion of task if situation is not going in his favour. It also make him indecisive at certain point of time. However in the second scenario , the worker don’t know anything about target set and couldn’t even see the progress. All he will get is appreciation in any way thereby increasing his performance and productivity in unfavourable situation as well.

Craft Management Worker     + Decision power

Modern Management Worker      - Decision power

            In modern management, decision power was taken from worker and given to Higher Management and work process get enlarged.

Work--> Job-->Activity-->Task-->Elements

                  WE NEED MANAGERS TO MANGE THIS CHAIN

Parameter	Craft Management	Modern Management
No. of people involved	1 person	> 1Person
Work	Work is ambiguous	Work is crystal clear
Division of Work	One person is loaded with the entire work.	The technical and the functional work are separated.
Skill	Skill	Deskill
Satisfaction	High	Less
Work Process	Small	Work Process get enlarged
Productivity Obtained	Low	High

            As the class progressed he also gave us an example of shoes made by a cobbler and an organization (e.g. Reebok, Nike, woodland etc) where people prefers the later one even if people knows that cobbler is expert on that. Here we can compare cobbler as craft management and organization as modern management (where lots of people are involved).

            So this is the end of our discussion for today, will b posting more as the class progresses.

            Till then enjoy yourself and happy reading ...goodbye..

 

Innovative Learning Experience

 Indian B-Schools teachers are known for traditional way of teaching however we have a exception to this in NITIE. All credit goes to Prof. T . Prasad(Well known as "prof. Mandi") a personality with simple living and high thinking. The way he say I can challenge anybody sounds very promising.I have seen him in mtv campus diaries and always wanted him as one of my teacher. My wish came true on 2nd day at NITIE i.e on 18/June /2013. Prof Mandi entered the class holding bunch of simple toys. He made all of us to sit on floor or in most comfortable way one would to like to sit. Then he distributed toys among the class. He taught us that we all have spent years of our life in learning now its time for earning. Every single rupee counts. He told us about the event Mandi(creation of his own). It is a unique exercise carried out in NITIE in which students of NITIE need to sell products in whole Mumbai by using their way of selling and thus doing earning and learning through working.

Different Thinking makes huge difference:

Prof Mandi showed us a rubber ball on which world map was printed then he explained that a kid could play with it and learn through it as well. We can sell this product (a simple rubber ball) in a different ways thereby creating our on customers. Market is available to us and we have to make use of it by our innovation and dedication. Prof. Mandi said that one should learn by working and I found it as a best way of learning.

Learning concept of market through a Newton Craddle:

The instrument had 5 identical spheres such that motion created in any of the ball inhibits motion in other based on simple law of energy transfer.

First case: When a sphere of either end set into motion it will trigger motion in the sphere at other end.

My learning: If you are a producer of a good and targeting the whole market. You will end up making one kind of customer doesn't matter how much capital one uses.

Second Case: When two sphere of either end set into motion it will trigger motion in the two spheres of other end and middle sphere will oscillate between the two ends.

My Learning: Now if there are two producers and targeting the whole market they will end up having more number of markets and thus customers.

Third Case: When three sphere of either end set into motion it will triggers motion in the two spheres of other end and just after first impact middle sphere will start oscillate between the two ends.

My Learning: Now if there are more producers then they all end up having very less market share and thus very few customers.

Prof. Mandi does not teach but he believes in creating and cultivating talent under the shadow of his guidance and according to him, one shouldn't have “borrowed innovation” one should create his/her own path.

Though it was a lecture of just 2 hours but it was a learning of life time. Learnt more than what I learned through whole of my life just because of different and innovative approach of Prof Mandi . Special thanks to Prof Mandi for making it a wonderful experience.